Se Plaindre Conjugation in French: Complete Tables and Guide

If you want to express dissatisfaction, grievance, or discomfort in French, you will definitely need the verb se plaindre (to complain). As a pronominal verb belonging to the irregular third group, its conjugation follows specific patterns that learners must memorize.

In this comprehensive guide from my-french.com, you will discover the complete conjugation tables for se plaindre, clear explanations of root changes, and crucial rules on past participle agreement.

1. Understanding the Stem Changes of -aindre Verbs

Verbs ending in -aindre (such as craindre, peindre, and se plaindre) feature two primary stem variations depending on the tense and subject pronoun:

1. Plain- before a consonant (e.g., je me plains, il se plaint).

2. Plaign- before a vowel sound (e.g., nous nous plaignons, ils se plaignaient, que tu te plaignes).

3. Plaind- for the future and conditional stems (e.g., je me plaindrai).

Additionally, because it is a reflexive verb, you must always include the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous, se).

2. Conjugation Tables by Tense

Present Indicative (Présent)

Use the present tense for ongoing actions and habits.

  • Je me plains (I complain)
  • Tu te plains (You complain)
  • Il / Elle / On se plaint (He / She / One complains)
  • Nous nous plaignons (We complain)
  • Vous vous plaignez (You complain - formal/plural)
  • Ils / Elles se plaignent (They complain)

    • Compound Past (Passé Composé)

All reflexive verbs use être as their auxiliary in compound tenses.

  • Je me suis plaint(e) (I complained)
  • Tu t'es plaint(e) (You complained)
  • Il s'est plaint (He complained)
  • Elle s'est plainte (She complained)
  • On s'est plaint(s/es) (We/One complained)
  • Nous nous sommes plaint(e)s (We complained)
  • Vous vous êtes plaint(e)(s) (You complained)
  • Ils se sont plaints (They complained)
  • Elles se sont plaintes (They complained)

    • Imperfect (Imparfait)

The imperfect is formed using the stem plaign- plus standard imperfect endings.

  • Je me plaignais (I used to complain)
  • Tu te plaignais (You used to complain)
  • Il / Elle / On se plaignait (He / She was complaining)
  • Nous nous plaignions (We used to complain)
  • Vous vous plaigniez (You used to complain)
  • Ils / Elles se plaignaient (They used to complain)

    • Simple Future (Futur Simple)

  • Je me plaindrai (I will complain)
  • Tu te plaindras (You will complain)
  • Il / Elle / On se plaindra (He / She will complain)
  • Nous nous plaindrons (We will complain)
  • Vous vous plaindrez (You will complain)
  • Ils / Elles se plaindront (They will complain)

    • Present Conditional (Conditionnel Présent)

  • Je me plaindrais (I would complain)
  • Tu te plaindrais (You would complain)
  • Il / Elle / On se plaindrait (He / She would complain)
  • Nous nous plaindrions (We would complain)
  • Vous vous plaindriez (You would complain)
  • Ils / Elles se plaindraient (They would complain)

    • Present Subjunctive (Subjonctif Présent)

Required after conjunctions like il faut que or verbs expressing emotion/doubt.

  • Que je me plaigne
  • Que tu te plaignes
  • Qu'il / elle / on se plaigne
  • Que nous nous plaignions
  • Que vous vous plaigniez
  • Qu'ils / elles se plaignent

    • Imperative (Impératif)

Used for direct commands or advice.

  • Plains-toi ! (Complain! - singular/informal)
  • Plaignons-nous ! (Let's complain!)
  • Plaignez-vous ! (Complain! - plural/formal)

Negative imperative: Ne te plains pas ! / Ne vous plaignez pas !

3. Past Participle Agreement with "Se Plaindre"

A common dilemma for French learners is whether to make the past participle agree. With se plaindre, the reflexive pronoun represents the direct object (COD). Because this direct object precedes the auxiliary être, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject:

  • Marie s'est plainte du service. (Feminine singular -> add -e)
  • Les clients se sont plaints de l'addition. (Masculine plural -> add -s)
  • Mes collègues féminines se sont plaintes. (Feminine plural -> add -es)

    • 4. How to Use "Se Plaindre" in Real Sentences

To construct natural sentences, pair se plaindre with appropriate prepositions:

  • Se plaindre de + noun/infinitive (to complain about something/doing something):
  • Elle se plaint du bruit des voisins. (She complains about the neighbors' noise.)
  • Il se plaint d'avoir mal à la tête. (He complains of having a headache.)
  • Se plaindre à / auprès de + person/entity (to lodge a complaint with someone):
  • Nous nous sommes plaints auprès du directeur. (We complained to the manager.)

Mastering se plaindre will make your spoken and written French far more expressive and natural. Keep practicing these conjugations regularly!